Tatler Philippines – October 2025

Summary

Roger Federer, photographed by Issac Lam in a Rolex Land-Dweller, anchors Tatler Philippines October 2025 with a 12-page Swiss feature package spanning watches, wellness, boarding schools and alpine resorts. The issue delivers 178 pages built around Swiss precision—from Gucci's Labirinti high jewellery to Chopard's Caroline Scheufele—while keeping local roots via Menardo Jimenez's family legacy and Hands On Manila's silver-anniversary volunteer drive.

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Roger Federer opens the magazine's "Best of Switzerland" portfolio (p.116) in a Tatler exclusive that pairs the tennis icon with his home country's mountain ethos. Chopard co-president Caroline Scheufele (p.148) walks through the family-run watch and jewellery dynasty. Institut Le Rosey director Christophe Gudin (p.130) gives a rare look inside the world's most exclusive boarding school, where fees run beyond CHF 130,000 per year. The Scene section tracks 14 local social events including the Aivee Clinic's 16th anniversary, Theatre Group Asia's Into the Woods premiere starring Lea Salonga, and Tiffany & Co's Legendary Legacy exhibition in Bangkok. Gucci's fifth High Watchmaking collection (p.100) and a Rolex Datejust 31 feature (p.111) anchor the Style section's 22 pages.

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Regular departments include an Editor's Note (p.20), The Guest List (p.22), a 12-month calendar spread (p.72) and In the News briefs (p.59). The Last Word (p.178) closes with Federer's quick-fire answers on Swiss chocolate, mountain habits and his favourite watch complication. Readers get 5 pages of jewellery picks, 4 pages of watch picks, a Swiss fashion spread (p.86) and the Decoding AI Myths masterclass recap featuring Maria Ressa (p.42). Advertising density remains moderate—roughly one full-page ad per editorial spread in the front half.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Swiss Special

p.116 · A Man and His Mountains
Federer, 43, discusses how Switzerland's landscape shaped his grace on court and his life post-retirement. The 8-page portfolio includes unseen personal photographs from his childhood in Basel and his current home on Lake Zurich. Close with the quote: "Switzerland taught me to move with the mountains, not against them."

p.124 · Life on the Lake
Six hotels, three wellness escapes and a five-course dinner at a lakeside Michelin-starred restaurant in Central Switzerland. The guide names the Bürgenstock Resort, the Park Hotel Vitznau and the Valsana Hotel in Arosa. Use the pre-Alps itinerary for a 7-day trip that mixes thermal baths and hiking.

p.130 · Lessons Without Borders
Institut Le Rosey's director Christophe Gudin explains why the school's two campuses—one in Rolle, one in Gstaad—produce alumni who run countries. Enrolment caps at 400 students from 60 nationalities. Apply 18 months ahead for Year 7 entry.

▸ Style

p.86 · Swiss Style
A 6-page fashion spread shot in Zurich's Kunsthaus and the Pavillon Le Corbusier, featuring Bally, Akris and On Running. The Swiss graphic design movement of the 1950s—clean grids, Helvetica typography—informs every look. Pair a structured Akris blazer with technical On sneakers for the editorial-approved city-to-trail silhouette.

p.100 · Heritage, Reimagined
Gucci's fifth High Watchmaking collection debuts 12 new Labirinti jewellery pieces inspired by Renaissance迷宫 patterns. Each piece takes 180 hours of hand-assembly. The Grip Chronograph with a sapphire caseback reveals the GG727.25 movement inside.

▸ Features

p.160 · A Legacy of Faith
Media mogul Menardo Jimenez, Sr, 87, shares the story of building GMA Network from a single radio station into the Philippines' largest broadcast group. His 11 grandchildren now hold shares in the company. The family office allocates 15 percent of annual profits to the Jesuit Foundation.

p.170 · Silver Linings
Hands On Manila marks 25 years of volunteer work. Co-founder Gianna Montinola reports 1.2 million volunteer hours logged since 2001. The feature lists five NGOs—from书屋 literacy to coastal clean-up—that accept new volunteers this quarter.

▸ Regulars

p.20 · Editor's Note
The editor frames the Swiss theme as a counterpoint to Manila's tropical pace, noting that "precision and patience are the same word in Swiss-German: genau." A personal anecdote ties her own travel to Andermatt to the issue's alpine focus.

p.178 · Last Word
Federer answers 8 rapid-fire questions. His favourite Swiss destination is Appenzell. His go-to watch is the Rolex Daytona. He eats dark chocolate from Läderach. The last book he read was a Murakami novel.

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Editor's Take

This is the rare themed issue that earns its premise. The Swiss content runs thick enough—18 editorial pages from page 116 to 156—to feel like a destination dossier rather than a marketing brochure. Federer's presence lifts the newsstand appeal, but the real find is the Menardo Jimenez family profile (p.160), a genuinely reported business story that the Philippine edition does better than its regional siblings. The weak link is the Style section: "Swiss Style" (p.86) leans too heavily on label placement shots and never answers what makes the look distinctly Swiss beyond the Helvetica reference. Ad count is manageable—about 35 percent of total pages—but the 10-page Tatler Ball photo spread (p.26-34 in The Scene) overlaps heavily with what ran in the September issue.

Strengths
• Federer exclusive with 8 pages of unseen personal content
• 18-page Best of Switzerland travel dossier with bookable addresses
• Menardo Jimenez Sr interview—rare family office transparency

Weaknesses
• Swiss Style fashion spread lacks a defining editorial point of view
• Tatler Ball photos repeat content from the September 24th Anniversary issue

Verdict: Recommended — Federer fans and Swiss travel planners get their money's worth from the 18-page destination section; local readers skip the repeat ball coverage.